Don't Brood, It's Bad For You!
by SSSRHA
Summary: "Kakashi-sensei! Stop brooding!" Kakashi sputtered, "Brooding? I wasn't brooding!" In which Naruto bullies Kakashi into raising sunflowers, and Kakashi can't say no to someone who looks so much like his late teacher. One-shot.


Kakashi stared at the KIA Memorial. Rin… Obito… He set down a few flowers. Orchids, Rin's favorites. And, since Rin liked them, Obito liked them. Kakashi stared at the grave.

"Kakashi-sensei?" He turned around to find Naruto. He had some orange Tulips in his hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, I was visiting some of my old friends," Kakashi said. Naruto frowned. Then, comprehension slid onto his face when he saw the KIA Memorial.

"Orchids. They look well taken care of." He looked up at Kakashi. "Did you grow them?" Kakashi stared at him, then shook his head.

"Oh. Whatever. Now that I think about it, I don't think that you have the capacity to raise a plant."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kakashi screeched. Naruto ignored him.

"Well, it looks healthy, so you probably got it from the Yamanaka's shop. Am I right?" Kakashi nodded. "Yeah well, I can teach you how to make a garden. I actually got these from my garden. So, you up for it?"

"Maybe not. I don't think gardening is my thing," Kakashi said. Naruto pouted.

"Fine, but you have to come over to my garden after this. I want to show you it! And I'll give you a sunflower. They're easy to raise, even you could do it! Every house needs some plants! And I don't mean those fake ones. Those are the worst!" Naruto scrunched up his face.

"Sure," Kakashi said. Then, he went back to staring at the Memorial.

For a few moments, all was quiet. Then, Naruto happened.

"Kakashi-sensei! Stop brooding!"

Kakashi sputtered. "Brooding? I wasn't brooding!"

"Oh yeah? Then what were you doing?"

"I was, um, thinking!"

"No, you weren't!" Naruto insisted. "Thinking is when you're passively consider something. Brooding is when you think negatively about a negative thing for an extended period of time, like you were doing!"

"I wasn't brooding!" Kakashi persisted.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, his voice suddenly much too serious. "Don't brood. Whatever happened, brooding won't help at all. It just makes it feel worse. Besides, there are so many people who face bad stuff, too. You don't see them all brooding and stuff, do you?"

"Yeah, well, what happened to me is worse!" Kakashi said childishly.

"Ha! So you admit that you were brooding?" Naruto yelled.

"T-that was a mistake! I didn't mean it like that!"

 _Damn it,_ Kakashi thought, _he's on to me!_

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, serious again, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Nothing gives you the right to stand somewhere for more than a minute thinking about what you did wrong or what could have been when you should be living your life." Naruto grinned. "Besides, brooding is bad for your health. I'm pretty sure that some scientist somewhere said that!"

Kakashi stared at Naruto, shocked. When he said that, he looked so much like Minato-sensei, who had said those exact same words.

* * *

 _It had been a few days since the Obito incident. Kakashi was sitting by himself at the top of the Hokage Monument, looking over Konoha. He felt Minato-sensei sit down next to him._

" _You shouldn't brood, you know?" Minato said._

 _Kakashi just stared at him. He wasn't one for words._

" _I know it's...hard, but you need to get up, go find all our friends, and laugh. This is hard on all of us, but it does not give you the right to just sit here thinking about anything you did wrong, because you didn't, when you should be doing your best." Minato grinned. "Besides, brooding is bad for your health. I'm pretty sure that some scientist somewhere said that!"_

 _For a while they sat in silence._

 _Then, Minato stood up. "Think about it. Well, see you later Kakashi!" Minato jogged off._

 _Kakashi didn't follow. He sat there for the rest of the evening staring at Konoha_

* * *

"Think about it! Oh, and remember to come to my house to get a plant! Orchids are actually really nice plants. I've got a lot." He started to walk away. "Well, see you later Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled. He was about to leave.

"Wait!" Kakashi said, following him. He ran to Naruto. "You're right. I was being stupid. So, who are you visiting?" Naruto smiled.

"These are for the Fourth Hokage. He's my idol!" Kakashi smiled. "Also, sometimes, I come here and walk along graves. I try to find one with my last name on it. Maybe then, I can figure out who my parents are." Kakashi gave Naruto a look of pity.

Naruto noticed and gave Kakashi a wide, genuine grin. "Don't worry. I don't really care who my parents are. I was just kind of curious. Besides, knowing my parents won't exactly change me. I'll still be me, so there's really no point in agonizing over it." He smiled and continued his walk to the Fourth Hokage's grave.

Kakashi wondered at the wisdom of Naruto. He seemed so empty-headed, but he knew so much. Maybe he should listen to Naruto and start a garden?

...actually, that sounded like it would take a lot of work.

But, Kakashi thought, raising a sunflower or two couldn't hurt.


End file.
